The term rules of origin" is an economic expression referring to a set of substantive rules for identifying the source of imported goods. As with any set of rules, certain formalities must be followed which entail public and private transaction costs. The public sector has to enforce the rules of origin and implement proper controls with a view to monitoring external trade in goods, minimizing budgetary expenditures and maximizing the collection of tax revenues, while at the same time facilitating international trade. Likewise, private agents involved in external trade in goods are required to follow certain procedures, which should be efficient and expeditious. There is already an abundance of economic literature relating to rules of origin; in this paper, we are concerned with the procedures involved in complying with such rules, in both the public and the private spheres. We approach the issue from the standpoint of trade facilitation. The matter of determining the origin of internationally traded goods inevitably comes up, however, so it will be discussed, although not in depth. Although there is no single definition of the term "trade facilitation", all working definitions take into account the matter of customs procedures, and many also explicitly refer to rules of origin. In both cases, the idea is to reduce the transaction costs associated with internationally traded goods."

The present level of intra-regional trade of Latin America and the Caribbean in relation to their total exports is still low when compared to the peak of 21.1% registered in 1997, despite its rebound in 2003 and continued recovery into 2004. While this trade holds a high potential for future growth...

This study provides an analysis of links between trade liberalisation, trade performance and competitiveness in the Caribbean. The study takes an eclectic approach, borrowing from different strands of theory and empirical findings, where necessary. Nevertheless from a broad conceptual frame of re...

This document represents a contribution made by the Tripartite Committee comprising the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Pathways to Prosp...